Monday, 25 February 2013

Life and Survival in Mumbai

Street Artist in Mumbai

He is deaf, mute and disabled. He is literate in Marathi, conveys in brief writing and in gestures.

The street is his canvas, a chalk his medium. He paints murals appropriate to scale of street, always in seating posture, obviously.His street art also falls in the category of ancient ritual as Land Art of Rangoli / Alpana / Kolam practice by Indian women householders.

Life and Survival in Mumbai

Ganesha is his Idol and subject, appears in various attires of great people. Here Shivaji personified as Ganesha. This, of course, is in tune with culture in Maharashtra.

He has tremendous ‘sense of scale’ and ‘economy of means’, which even the most learned & the highly placed elite – politicians, experts, professionals etc. – may miss in their work & lifestyle.

I cannot guess his age; it seems he has arrested aging by constructive creativity.

Some benevolent institution may have given him a carriage for conveyance. There his rehabilitation comes to an end.

He shows me his album, many photographs of his paintings, and newspaper cuttings: he is a celebrity in his own right.

Indeed for many well known artists, honorarium amount they receive is never enough; whatever this person receives is never less. Government supports authors and other artists, however, this street artist may not appear in their lists; there many, too many, like him in India.

The Artist, his Land Art and Belongings in Mumbai

While parting, I simply salute him.
--
Life is larger than all Arts, Sciences, Religions, Philosophies, trade, techs, States ... through times and places. ― Remigius de Souza

Friday, 22 February 2013

LEARNING AIDS IN BOOKS!

Survival and Life in Mumbai – Daily Bread

Two generations have born and grew up in Mumbai in such subhuman conditions. But no one knows how to give them fair deal as citizens of this great nation - India

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Mother and Father: Marathi proverb modified

In Mumbai about 60% persons live in "Grey Land Use Zone", which is illegal or unrecognized. They are landless, homeless, displaced and marginalized in their motherland. The elite are chasing them away everywhere.

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Survival and Life in City: Mother's Little Helpers

Precious childhood learns life-supporting skills in the nursery school of Life itself: there is no better teacher anywhere. What memories would they carry as they grow-up? Who knows? They may not have been entered even the Census Survey of India.

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Mother Nature!, Give us this day our honest bread!

The marginalized and displaced have no demands even for their needs

from anyone.

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Learning aids - 1

This hawker on street has her kin and clan and close-knit community scattered in city: They don't suffer Identity crisis, though homeless in their Motherland.

"यही मुंबै मेरी जान ।"This Mumbai My Love!

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Street vendor in Mumbai

This street vender, though s/he may be illiterate, but knows well:

about 'survival' (means 'to live sanely') better than 'Authority';

about what things sell in this metropolis;

about life that teaches lessons in the country-wide-classroom;

about authority that is a faceless entity;

about glossy paper books that fail to teach lessons in Real Life, Down to Earth;

about the pampered kids pushed to live in the Virtual Reality, day in and day out;

And about how to save to her portable shop, from the baton...

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Street vendor in Mumbai

There are many dimensions to this frugal figure acquired through the glorious past, an Epic Poem in Person.

The elders in elite society hardly have time to take their kids to nearby places to look at vegetable and fish market, grocery shop, gardens and parks - though a very few, paddy farms on the outskirts of the city/suburbs or town, which offer innumerable variety in every aspect described in these glossy books, and much more.

Children have countless curiosities — questions, keen observation with all their senses, above all, their spontaneity and innocence!But before long, before they see, experience and understand the real world around them, not even their immediate neighbourhood, they are pushed into Virtual Reality: Ready canned food, drinks, spices, views in TV, cell phone, MP3, Info-Technology.At a tender age of 2-3, they are admitted into a public domain called 'nursery school', when they are not even introduced to their kin and clan: So they become 'smart' guys 'n gals.This is rubbing salt on the wounded cohesive collective by the demise of joint family.

Can a school impart social values and life-supporting skills, which kinship and community could inculcate without a paid lecturer?

Could the Industry & Trade remove this social lack of values and morality?

Can a physicist and an economist sitting on high chairs at the helm of country's affairs provide answer with rockets and global market economy?

∴ The elders, each one, should try to find the answers.
(08-01-2013)

Life is larger than all Arts, Sciences, Religions, Philosophies, trade, technologies, States... through times and places, — Remigius de Souza